Last Tuesday (September 12), the 2026 World Cup South American qualifiers were held in the United States, Mexico and Canada. This was the second match of the qualifiers. Likewise, Venezuela and Paraguay performed well in a match last Tuesday at the Maturin Memorial Stadium.
Fernando “Bocha” Batista’s side won their first World Cup victory with a 1-0 victory over Paraguay, winning over Venezuelan fans. José Salomón Rondón scored the only goal of the game from a penalty kick three minutes after the end of regular time.
Likewise, another star of the night was Argentina’s technical director Fernando Batista, who radically changed his approach after losing to Colombia in the first qualifying round in Barranquilla. In turn, Vinotinto made their best-ever start two days before the World Cup.
Salomon Rondon’s goalscoring record
Venezuelan gladiators dressed as heroes in Maturin gave Vinotinto his first victory. Salomon Rondon scored the only goal of the game on the spot, and it was also his 40th goal in the history of the national team.
The River Plate striker is also the player with the most home (17) and away (23) goals for his national team. The striker, who has played for Newcastle, Zenit and Malaga, is the player with the most headed goals for his country (eight).
Similarly, with 40 goals, he became the top scorer in Venezuela’s history and only had to surpass Juan Arango to become the top scorer in Venezuela’s South American qualifiers. He currently ranks second with 11 goals, behind Arango’s 12 goals.